The present invention relates to a baby carrying harness of the kind defined in the preamble of claim 1.
The baby carrying harness is thus a typically known harness to which a baby carrying pouch is attached. The lower part of the pouch is connected to the harness and the pouch has a front wall which includes at least one free side edge. The upper part of the free side edge can be respectively released from and fastened to the harness respectively through the medium of a connecting device that functions to support the front wall from the harness and to define between the free side edge of the front wall and the harness beneath the connecting device an opening for receiving the legs of a baby and located. The connecting device includes a hook fastener which comprises a male part that has a downwardly pointing finger on the front wall, and a closely situated finger-receiving female part carried by the harness.
One problem with a harness of this description is that the opening that accommodates the baby""s legs is defined by the side edge of the front wall and the adjacent part of the harness strap, along a distance from the connection point between the hook fastener and the bottom connection of the front wall to the harness.
The connection between the male part of the hook fastener and the front piece defines the upper baby support level of lie front wall, where a baby is carried by the harness. However, when this level is sufficiently high, there is a risk that the leg opening will be so large as to allow both legs of a small baby to pass through one leg opening and the baby falling therethrough.
It is therefore desirable to be able to reduce the size of the leg opening while keeping the advantage of being able to use readily a hook fastener that can be established quickly and securely with a single, easily effected coupling operation.
One object of the present invention is to provide a baby carrying harness with which safe connection of the front wall to the harness is achieved with the aid of a coupling device in the form of a hook fastener, and, in conjunction with establishing said collection, will also achieve mutual connection of the side edge of the front wall with the harness along a substantial part of the side edge of said front wall such as to limit the size of the leg opening.
This object is achieved by the invention.
The invention is defined in the accompanying independent claim 1.
Further embodiments of the invention will be apparent from the accompanying dependent Claims.
In preferred embodiments of the invention, the finger of the hook fastening has an effective length of at least 2 cm, and preferably at least 3 or 4 cm. Finger lengths of least 5 cm or 6 cm have been considered in connection with the development of the invention, and in the case of an embodiment at present preferred the finger has a length of 8.5 cm.
The female part may include a pocket which is orientated vertically in a harness strap that extends generally vertically and adjacent to the free side-edge of the pocket. The entrance to the pocket may be formed by a ring-shaped fitting, for instance a plastic fitting, that is fastened, e.g., sewn, to the harness strap in the close proximity to the pocket entrance. The ring-shaped fitting therewith provides a stable and strong support for the finger at its root. The pocket extends vertically to receive the finger along essentially its full length, whereby the harness and the front wall are held together along the length of the finger up to the tip of the finger. This enables the size of the leg opening to be restricted, while ensuring that the finger cannot easily be lifted up out of the pocket/the female part owing to the length of the finger. Insertion of the finger into the pocket is a clear-cut operation and the finger will remain in the pocket even should the front wall and the male part of the hook fastener be lifted upwards, as might well happen should the wearer sit down on a chair and therewith cause the pouch and the baby to be moved upwards as they come into contact with the user""s knee (the front side of the thighs in the proximity of the knees).
Because the finger has a substantial length, the user is able to detect when the finger does not extend into the pocket correctly, for instance should the tip of the finger fasten in the entrance to the pocket.
In one further embodiment of the invention, the finger is supported by a body that carries a latch mechanism which functions to automatically latch the finger to the female part wherein the finger has been inserted fully into said pocket. The latch mechanism includes a spring-biased element, or bolt, which engages with a latch hook in the ring-shaped fitting and which can be bent or deflected to one side so as to pass free from the latch hook of the fitting and therewith enable the finger to be withdrawn therefrom, said latch hook being moved aside by the force exerted by a finger of the user.
The aforesaid male part is preferably provided with a generally U-shaped metallic strengthening element whose one leg extends through a finger of the hook fastener and whose other leg extends along said body, so that the hook fastening function will be maintained even should the finger break-off. The provision of the U-shaped strengthening element minimises the risks that would occur should the body and the finger be made of a plastic material that becomes brittle with the passage of time and exposure to sunlight, etc. The body will preferably include a tongue that facilitates sewing of the body to the front wall of the pouch. The tongue may have the form of a latticework, which is integral with said body.
The finger will preferably have along its length an outwardly projecting spring-strip which is cut obliquely in the proximity of the free end of the finger, so as to form an undercut together with the finger. The finger strip is located close to said body. This undercut prevents erroneous threading of the finger, for instance on a harness strap. The spring strip imparts to the finger a particular cross-sectional contour which coincides essentially with the entrance opening of the fitting, so as to obtain a coding function, i.e. the finger must have a cross-sectional shape that will be accommodated in the opening in order to be able to be received in the female part.
One advantage afforded by the invention is that the coupling device provides, in conjunction with a coupling operation, a positive coupling between the harness and the upper part of the free side-edge of the front wall, and also provides a long vertical coupling distance between the finger and its receiving pocket, so that the leg opening will have an appropriately small size.
If it is found necessary to reduce the size of the leg opening still further, it is, of course, possible to achieve this with the aid of a further connection. This further collection may consist of a pull-on strap or looped strap, whose one end is fastened to the harness and the other end of which has a buttonhole that can be fastened to a button on the side-edge of the front wall in a position beneath the tip of the finger.
The fitting on the female part may be established at a height level such that the flexible front wall will provide an effective horizontal support line in relation to the baby, at a safe level.